Five accused remanded till mid-November via virtual CJM hearing; no bail sought, lodged in Baksa jail away from Guwahati.
Includes festival organizer Mahanta, manager Sharma, DSP Garg, PSOs Bora and Baishya; two band members in separate Haflong custody.
SIT awaits Singapore evidence in 10 days; probe into poisoning claims, financials, and witnesses from yacht party on Sept 19.
Guwahati High Court, on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of five accused in the death case of Assamese singer Zubeen Garg by another 14 days, with the hearing conducted virtually due to the Chhath Puja holiday. The five—North East India Festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg's manager Siddharth Sharma, suspended DSP and cousin Sandipan Garg, and personal security officers Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya—were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) through video conferencing, as their previous custody period ended on October 28.
The extension follows an initial 14-day judicial remand granted on October 15 by the Kamrup Metropolitan CJM court, after which the accused were lodged in Baksa district jail at Nikashi, away from Guwahati due to local public anger. No bail applications have been filed by the accused, who remain in custody as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Assam CID continues its probe. The two other arrested individuals—band members Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprabha Mahanta—are held in Haflong prison under separate judicial custody.
Garg, a cultural icon, drowned during a yacht party in Singapore on September 19, 2025, just before his scheduled performance at the Northeast India Festival. The case, initially ruled accidental, turned suspicious after Goswami alleged poisoning, prompting the SIT's formation. Singapore Police have assured cooperation, promising evidence within 10 days, including post-mortem details and witness statements from 10 of 11 Assamese diaspora members present.
